hyatt



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. HYATT.

VAULT-LIGHT ROOT1 AND SIDEWALK FOB. GONSTRUGTING BASEMENTS, &c., TO BUILDINGS.

No. 286,137. `Patented Oct. 2, 1883.

or G/rounrIZor.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

T. HYATT. VAULT-LIGHT ROOF AND SIDEWALK POR GONSTRUCTING BASEMENTS, 65o., T0 BUILDINGS.

Patented Oct. 2, 1883.

UNITED STATES 'rHAnnEus HYATT,

PATENT OEEICEo OF NEY YORK, N. Y.

VAULT-LIGHT ROOF AND SIDEWALK FCR CONSTRUCTING BASEMENTS, circ., TO BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,137, dated Cctober 2, ISS.

Application tiled September l, ISES. (No model .To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TnAnDEUs HYATT, a citizen ol;v the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vault-Light Roofs and Sidewalks for Constructing Basements and Rear Extensions to Buildings, of which the following is a description, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, making part ol" this specification.

My invention relates to the kind of patent light constructions known to the trade as step rool's. 7 These rooi's l'orm. part of the invention patented to me originally on the 27 th day of August, 1867. As originally patented they were designed 'for the fronts of buildings only; but by patent dated May 9, 1882, I applied them to the construction of the rear extension gi.ouiul-iloor rooi's of buildings.

My i'nrther and present improvements are designed to correct two prominent evils universally complained of in patent light roofs ot all shapes and kinds-to wit, want ot' ventilation alu sweating the result of want ol' ventilation; also, to correct two other de-v i'ects equally as bad, but not complained of, because no one supposes they can be cured. I rel'er to the obscuration and loss of light which take place when in winter-time, during a snowfall, the snows accumulate upon the rear extension illuminating-rools5 and I allude to the dark parts o1l the rooms lighted by these roots that are at a considerable distance inward toward the center of the building, and are in shadowbecause the light from the root' reaches them only indirectly. N ow, the object of illuininating-roois, whether at the rear or at the fronts ol` buildings, and whether in stoop or ordinary shape, has relation, prima-y rily, to the parts of the building that need light the most, and theseparts are those nearest the center of the building; but when the illuminating-roei is composed of steps, as in the case ol' a groundtloor higher than the level of the sidewalk at the front entrance to a building, light and ventilation are necessarily subordinated to the necessities ofthe construction as steps. In such case the first thing to be considered is an easyrise to the steps. This requires risers of only six to eight inches high,

and as the nosing7 of the tread above must lap down over such risers in iront, and the 'waterbackf"7 of the tread below must lap up over them behind, but little middle or heart portion ofthe riser is lel't for either light or ventilation. To make the most of it, I make the riser of plate-glass in two plates, one to slide over the ['ace oi' the other, like a sliding hot-air register, each plate being suitably formed with ventilatingslots; and, to make the light of the stepaoof tell. withproper ei'- fect upon the dark center ofthe apartment, I combine with the steps a set ol" daylightreltlectors, (using the words, in their technical sense, to mean highly/'polished metal plates or glass mirrors ot' ordinary kind,) or I combine daylightreflecting surfaces, (meaning by `this any surfaces suitable to reilect light.)

\Vith respect to step-reels for rear-extension work, my improvement consists in construct-ing the roofs with as large a proportion of riser or Vertical surface as the case admits of.

First, with reference to snow. Snow docs not remain ou windows in housewalls because the openings are vertical.

Second, with reference to ventilation. 'Vertical openings are the only ones that admit of being uncovered in bad weather, when ventilation may be required.

The rule which I adopt `for constructing step rool's for'the rear extensions ol the groundiloor of buildings is to make risers double the height of the average depth of snowfalls. rlhis gives a margin for light through the risers equal to double the depth ofthe snow. Gonstructed in accordance with this rule, and with reference to the exigeneies of a rear-extension root', as herein explained, the construction is not a step-roof7 technically, but only in form. The roof is rather a combination 0l` roof-levels in longitudinal horizontal sections connect` ed by longitudinal vertical sections made in the form and with the functions of windows.

Figure l represents an illuminating steproof over an area and basementextension 2 represents an illuminating step-roof' over an extension at thc rear of the ground-iioor or principal story made with daylightreflectors. Fig. 3 represents an illuminating step-rool` made with combined daylight-rcilectors. Fig.

IOO

over an extension at the rear of the groundfloor or principal story, illustrating the window nature of the vertical portions of the roof, yand also illustrating a mode of arranging the daylight-reflectors in curved and arch form to produce a finish and an ornamental appearance at the rear of the apartment. Fig. 4 represents a glass sliding register-riser.

A indicates the levels, treads, or fiat horizontal portions of the roof. B indicates the vertical, riser, or window portionsof the roof. C indicates the daylight-reflectors. a indicates the front slide of the glass register. b indicates the back or rear slide of the glass register.

Having thus fully explained the' nature andV purposes of my invention, what-I claim, and

y desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An illuminating step-roof wherein the daylight-reliectors or reflecting-surfaces are made or arranged inline, resembling leaves, louvers, or slats, and placed at a reflecting-angle underneath or below the treads, so as to catch and reflect their light, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and illustrated. Y v

2. An illuminating step-roof, in combination with a sidewalk and principal story of a building, when the steps are formed by combining glass sliding register-risers with illuminating-treads, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and illustrated.

3. An illuminating step-roof, in combination with a sidewalk and principal story of a building when the steps are formed by combining glass sliding register-risers with illuminating-treadsanddaylight-reflectors,orwith reflecting-surfaces, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and illustrated.

4. An illuminating rear-extension lean-toroof,7 the incline of which is broken or Adivided into alternate vertical and horizontal sections, the proportions of one to the other being such as to prevent obscuration of light from snowfalls, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and illustrated.

5. An illuminating rear-extension lean-toroof, the incline of which is broken or divided into alternate vertical and horizontal sections, the proportions of one to the other being such as to prevent obscuration of light from snowfalls, in combination with daylight-reflectors, orreflecting-surfaces made or arranged in line, resembling louvers, leaves, or slats, and placed at a reflecting-angle underneath or below the levels or horizontal sections, so as to catch and reflect their light, substantially as and for the.

purposes herein set forth and' illustrated.

6.' An illuminating step-roof, in combina-` tion with the rear extension of the groundfloor or principal story of a building, when the roof is composed of illuminating-levels or horizontal sections, combined with and` connected by risers'or vertical roof-sections having the function of windows, and likewise combined with daylight-reflectors or reflecting-surfaces made in the form of slats or louvers, and arranged in semi-dome or archform, substanp THADDEUS HYATT.

Witnesses:-

'110. BREoH'r, GUY Dn MoTT. 

